Memory
"Memory" is the most popular and well known song from the musical Cats. It is primarily performed by Grizabella. The lyrics of the song were written by Cats director Trevor Nunn, based on the T S Eliot poems "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" and "Preludes". This song is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most famous compositions and a runaway hit with a life far beyond the musical. For more details of recordings see Wikipedia. The song is often mistakenly referred to in popular culture as "Memories". Context The song "Memory" is first heard in a short version at the end of Act 1. The audience has already been introduced to Grizabella by Bombalurina and Demeter in "Grizabella: The Glamour Cat", and during "The Jellicle Ball", Grizabella is seen watching the Cats. After they finish, she approaches and tries to join them, but is rejected. Once the other Cats leave the stage, Grizabella begins to copy their dance moves, but alone and frail, she cannot capture the magic of the Ball. She is left alone to contemplate her memories of the time when she apart of the Jellicle tribe. She sings a single verse of "Memory", and reaches out for anyone to touch her. She desperately wants to be accepted. Although Old Deuteronomy has been watching, he is too far away to reach out to her, and she leaves with what little pride she has remaining. The next iteration of the "Memory" melody is at the beginning of Act 2, after Old Deuteronomy sings "The Moments of Happiness", Jemima/Sillabub sings: Moonlight, Turn your face to the moonlight Let your memory lead you Open up, enter in If you find there the meaning of what happiness is Then a new life will begin As the night is drawing to a close, again Jemima/Sillabub sings: Daylight, See the dew on a sunflower. And a rose that is fading, Roses wither away. Like the sunflower, I yearn to turn my face to the dawn. I am waiting, For the day. Finally, Old Deuteronomy comes to choose the cat to be taken to the Heaviside Layer. Suddenly, Grizabella appears on stage once more. This is Grizabella's last chance to be accepted, and although again met with hostility from the tribe, she sings again, the full version of "Memory". Again Jemima/Sillabub sings with her, the first of the Cats to understand her. By the end of the song, everyone understands her plight, and she is finally accepted by everyone, and escorted by Old Deuteronomy "Up, Up, Up to the Heaviside Layer". History "Memory" was written rather late in the development of the show. It was hearing the melody of the song that persuaded Elaine Paige to accept the role of Grizabella. Tim Rice was initially brought in to provide the lyrics but his version was considered too dark, so instead Trevor Nunn wrote his own lyrics that draw on imagery and text from T S Eliot's poems "Rhapsody on a Windy Night" and "Preludes", both from Prufrock and Other Observations (1917). The version of the song popularised by hundreds of recording artists uses lyrics from both Act 1 "Memory" and this longer number. This "single version" is not actually performed in the musical itself, although it is sometimes used in the cast recordings because it is more "radio-friendly". Lyrics Act 1 Prelude Grizabella: Midnight (alt- Silence) Not a sound from the pavement Has the moon lost her memory She is smiling alone In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet And the wind begins to moan Every street lamp seems to beat A fatalistic warning Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters And soon it will be morning Memory All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again Act 2 Reprise Grizabella: Memory Turn your face to the moonlight Let your memory lead you Open up enter in If you find there the meaning of what happiness is Then a new life will begin Memory All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again Burnt out ends of smoky days The stale cold smell of morning The streetlamp dies, another night is over Another day is dawning Daylight I must wait for the sunrise I must think of a new life And I mustn't give in When the dawn comes Tonight will be a memory too And a new day will begin Jemima/Sillabub: Sunlight through the trees in summer Endless masquerading Both: Like a flower as the dawn is breaking Grizabella: The memory is fading Touch me It's so easy to leave me All alone with the memory Of my days in the sun If you touch me You'll understand what happiness is Look - A new day has begun Single Version Midnight Not a sound from the pavement Has the moon lost her memory She is smiling alone In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet And the wind begins to moan Memory All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days (alt) I was beautiful then (alt) Life was beautiful then I remember the time I knew what happiness was Let the memory live again Every street lamp seems to beat A fatalistic warning Someone mutters and the street lamp gutters And soon it will be morning Daylight I must wait for the sunrise I must think of a new life And I mustn't give in When the dawn comes Tonight will be a memory too And a new day will begin Burnt out ends of smoky days The stale cold smell of morning The streetlamp dies, another night is over Another day is dawning Touch me It's so easy to leave me All alone with the memory Of my days in the sun If you touch me You'll understand what happiness is Look - A new day has begun Tim Rice Lyrics Street lights And the darkness between them Like the good and the bad sides Of a life almost done. Shake the memory All my passions returning to me None forgotten No, not one. One life Is there only the one life That we lose in the living In an endless decline? No complaining For no one else has seen what I've seen One existence Only mine Don't look back no don't look back So hard to heed that warning Such temptation but the past is past And the night makes way for morning Daylight I won't care if it finds me With no breath in my body With no beat in my heart For I'm certain That now I know what happiness is Wish I'd known that From the start Touch me Is there no one to touch me It was easy to love me In my glamorous past As I leave you A shadow of the light I once was May my memory Sleep at last International Versions * Czech * French * German * Japanese Video Memory - Betty Buckley 1983 Tony Awards Memory - Elaine Paige Cats film 1997 Gallery Griz Jo Ampil ensemble UK17.jpg Grizabella Elaine Paige 6.jpg Griz 2000 Nagoya 4.jpg Griz Francesca Arena Aus 07 2.jpg Griz Laura Emmitt Asia 17 2.jpg Sillabub Cruise 2016 03.jpg Grizabella Mamie Parris us16 1.jpg Grizabella l0102 20.jpg Griz 01 Dutch Tour 2006.jpg Grizabella Vivienne Carlyle RCCL Cast 1 03.jpg Griz 1 Madrid 2003 .jpg Grizabella Prisca Demarez Paris 15 1.jpg Grizabella Victoria act 2 Film 01.jpg Griz Silla 2002 Osaka.jpg Grizabella Antje Monteiro Dutch Tour 2006.jpg Griz Vic Heidi Karlsson Abbie Quinnen RCCL Cast 5.jpg Grizabella Victoria Vienna 2019 02.jpg Category:Musical Numbers Category:Article stubs